Change maker



Dec. 19, 1944;

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CHANGE MAKER Filed Jan. 29, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zaflaf ifihlefyargmvwms Leek. Cg ok,

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.IIIII IIII III I I IIII I I 1 I l ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 1-9, 1944 oFFicsY Q 1 CHANGE MAKER Charles G. Emerson and Lee R. Cook,

Rowlesburg, W. Va.

Application January 29, 1943, Serial No. 473,990

' 4 Claims.

Our invention relates to change makers, and

has among its objects and advantages the pro,- vision of an improved change making device wherein a plurality of coins ofpredetermined denomination are arranged in a series of columns, in which novel means are provided for removing the lowermost coin in each column upon insertion of a coin of predetermined larger denomination and subsequent actuation of the device. A

Coins of a given denomination vary in thickness because of wear. In change making devices wherein a predetermined number ofchange coins is removed from a column, considerable difficulty has been experienced in removing the right number of coins because of variation in the total thickness of the coins being removed. The coins frequently total a thickness either too great or too. small which makes it difficult to devise a pusher mechanism which will operate efficiently under such conditions. The present invention is so designed as to be capable of efficient operation in that the pusher means are concerned with one cointhickness only.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the central portion of the device.

a coin slide.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a coin actuated pusher.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary bottom view of the partsof Figures 8 and 9. r

Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view through one-of the change tubes, and I 'Figure 12 is-a plan view of the invention illustrating the substitution of twenty-five cent piece change tubes in lieu of the five cent piece change tubes of Figure 2.

In the embodiment ofthe invention selected for illustration, we makev use of a cabinet III which may be of any desired shape or size. Suflice it to say that the cabinet should enclose the change making devicawith the exception of the coin slide I2. In Figure 8 the slide I2 comprises a flat metallic strap I4 having an upturned outer end I6. A coin receiving opening I8 is provided in the strap I4 adjacent its inner end, and two depending lugs 20 are attached to the strap. I I

The strap I4 is slidably guided in grooves 22 in spaced walls 24 fixed to a supporting floor 26 inside the cabinet Ill, see Figure 4. In Figure 1, the coin slide I2 is normally in the position shown, and overlies a ledge 28 fixed to thecabinet III. In Figure 2, the walls 24 have flanges 30 bolted at 32 to the floor 26, and the walls are effectively braced by spacing screws 34.

Lying underneath the coin slide I2 is a pusher 36, see Figure 9. This pusher is bent along its side margins to provide channels 38. facing inthe direction of each other and underlying the strap area 400i the pusher. A coin receiving opening 42 is formed'in the strap part'4ll, and the strap part is provided with spaced slots 44 communicating with the opening 42. These slots are spaced to receive the lugs 20, which move freely in the slots. I

The pusher 3'6 parallels the coin slide I2 and is slidably guided in grooves 46 in the walls 24, see Figure 4. Slidably mounted in the channels 38 is a plate 48 having a concavedcoin engaging end 5lI. A tension spring 52- has one end connected with the plate 48 and its other end attached to a bar 54 fixed to and bridgin the channels 38, so that the plate 48 is normally held in inoperative position with its inner concaved or arcuately recessed end 50 in registration with the corresponding outer edge portion of the opening 42, as shown at Figures 1 and 3. Slots 56 inward'movement of the slide advances the'plate.

48 against the tension ofthe spring 52. The slide I2 is moved sufiiciently far to bring its opening I 8 into registration with the opening 42 in the pusher before thenlugs 20'are broughtinto" I pushing engagement with the platen. Further advancement of the slide I2 afterengagement with the plate 48 brings a stop 58 'on the coin slide into engagement with the bar 54 and prevents further movement of the coin slide, since the pusher 36 is latched against movement by a coin-actuated means, which prevents operation 18 attached to .a change slide plate 80.

of the pusher until a coin has been deposited in the coin slide.

Means for latching the pusher 36 against unauthorized actuation comprise two bodies 60 fitting loosely in openings I52 in the two walls 24, see Figure 6. These bodies also extend through recesses in the channels 38 to latch the pusher 36 against endwise movement. Each body 60 is fixed to a sprin arm 66 attached at 68 to the walls 24, see Figure 5. The bights of the two channels 38 are spaced sufliciently far to accommodate the coin deposited in the opening 42, with the flanges of the two channels constituting a floor for supporting the coin as it falls through this opening. The inner portions of the bodies 50, extending through the recesses )64, are rabbeted to form upper longitudinal rearwardly converging cam edges I and lower relatively protruding flanges H. The forward ends of the respective cam edges 10 are normally held in approximate registration with the inner faces of the webs of the channels 38 while the flanges II are substantially flush with and in abutting relation with the bottom flanges of these channels, as shown at Figure 6, so that the edge of a, coin I2, carried inward on the channels by the plate 48, will be guided into engagement with the cam edges to force the bodies laterally apart so as to release the pusher and permit further advancement of the latter through further inward movement of the coin slide.

To the inner end of the pusher 36 is attached a cross bar I4 riveted at I toone end of a bar This plate lies between the flanges 82 and a bottom plate 84 having coin discharging openings 86 and 88. There are two openings 85 and three openings 88, the openings 88 being sufliciently large to drop five and'ten cent pieces, while the openlugs 86 may additionally drop twenty-five cent pieces. The plate 80 is also provided with two large openings 90 and three smaller openings v92 respectively corresponding to the openings 86 and .88 with respect to size and arrangement.

Normally the plate '80 lies'in the position of Figure 3 so as to substantially cover the floor 'plate84. Between the plate 80 and the flanges 82 lie the marginal edges of a plate 94 having upstanding coin containing'tubes 96. This plate is easily withdrawn .so that other plates with coin tubes of different sizes may be substituted therefor. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate coin tubes of the five cent size. These coin tubes align with the openings 90 and 92 in the plate 80 when the latter is in its normal position of Figure 3, so that the lowermost coin in each coin tube 96 will lie at rest on the floor plate 84, the plate .80 being sufliciently thick to advance the coins on the floor plate84 .to bring the coins into alignment with the discharging openings ,86 and 8B.

The floor plate 84 may be precisely adjusted in .a vertical direction through the .medium of adjusting screws 98 threadedly connected 'withlugs I00 struck from side walls I02 having their upper edges bent to form the flanges 82. Each screw 98 'hasa head I04 vrotatably connected at I06 with the floor plate 84 so that the floor plate may be accurately adjusted for spacing with respect to the plate 94. The walls I02 have flanges I08 bolted at IIOto the floor 26. A large opening II2 is provided in the floor 2-6 .for reception of coins dropped through the floor plate 84 for delivery to a coin chute I I4 having a discharge end accessible from a position exteriorly of the cabinet I0. A'se'cond opening H6 is provided in the floor 26 for the reception of coins dropped by the slide mechanism, which coins fall into a chute IIB leading to a receptacle not shown. To the underside of the pusher 36 is attached a cam I which deflects the coins downwardly through the recesses I22 cut in the flanges of the channels 38. I

In operation, the structure of Figures 1 through 11 is designed for dispensing five five cent pieces for a twenty-five cent piece when all the tubes 96 are loaded with five cent pieces. -When a twenty-five cent piece is inserted in the opening I8, the coin comes to rest on the slotted part of the pusher '36. When the coin slide I2 is pushed forwardly, the coin rides on the pusher as the coin slide is advanced to bring the coin into registration with the opening 42, after which the coin drops onto the flanges of the channels 38. Further advancement of the coin slide I2 brings the lugs 20 into pushing engagement with the plate 48. This plate presses the coin into camming engagement with the bodies to press the latter outwardly with reference to the guide following which the coin contacts the cam I20 and is deflected downwardly and drops into the opening H6 and the chute II 8. The outward movement of the bodies 60 in their recesses 64 is suflicient to clear the bottom flanges of the channels 38 so as to release the pusher 36. Engagement between the stop 58 and the bar 54 advances the pusher '36 to move the plate and remove the lowermost coins in the openings 90 and 92 into alignment with the openings and 88.

Figure 12 illustrates a construction wherein a floor plate I24 is provided with two coin tubes I26 of such size as to accommodate twenty-five cent pieces. These tubes align with the openings 86. Thus twenty-five cent pieces may be dispensed through insertion of a fifty cent piece, although it is .first necessary to insert a coinslide and pusher assembly designed for fifty cent pieces.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain our invention that others m y, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

We claim:

1. In a change making mechanism, a slide member having an opening and connected with a pusher plate, a latch means acting on said slide member to normally restrain the latter from movement, a coin slide movable relativeiv to said slide member for depositing a coin in said opening, and means actuated by said coin slide and coasting with said slide member to shift a coin into engagement with said latch means to move the latter to a releasing position for freeing the slide member for actuation by said coin slide.

2. Coin controlled actuating mechanism for a change making machine comprising a first slide member having channels and provided with an opening, a coin slide movable relatively'to said first slide member for depositing a coin of predetermined denomination into said opening, notches in said first slide member, spring pressed bodies engaging in said notches to restrain the first slide member from movement but extending into the path of said coin of predetermined denomination to be engaged thereby and moved to releasing positions, a coin engaging member slidably mounted on said first slide member for engaging the-coin in said opening, said coin having slots, lugs on said coin slide extending through said slots to provide a lost motion connection between the coin slide and said'coin engaging member, and means on said coin slide engageable with said first slide member to advance the latter and actuate a coin pusher plate of the change making mechanism when said first slide member is released by said spring pressed bodies.

3. In a coin slide, the combination of a first slide member having a coin receiving opening and a coin discharging outlet, a coin slide movable relatively to said first slide member, a coin engaging member spring biased to a normal position with relation to said first slide member, an operatingconnection between said coin en gaging member and said coin slide for advancing the former relatively to said first slide member when the coin slide is moved in the direction of said coin discharging outlet, and a latch means normally restraining said first slide memberagainst movement but engageable by the coin in its movement to said coin discharging outlet for releasing the first slide member to actuate a coin pusher plate of a change making mechanism;

'4. In a change making machine having change dispensing means, a coin controlled mechanism for operating the dispensing means comprising a support, a reciprocatory pusher'member slidably mounted on the support and having an openin for the passage of a coin therethrough, means, on the pusher for slidably supporting a coin after passage through the opening therein, said coin supporting means being recessed to permit the coin to drop therefrom, means for releasably restraining operative movement of the Pusher, a bottom plate slidably mounted in the pusher and operative to move a coin on the coinsupport of the pusher into engagement with the restraining means to release the latter, meansfor yieldingly holding said bottom plate in inoperative'position, a manually operable coin positioning member slidably mountedabove the pusher having an opening permitting thepassage of a coin therethrough, and projections on said manually operable member adapted to engage and successively move the bottom plate and the pusher through their operative movements. 

